


That's How You Know

by star_lili



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Angst, Crimes & Criminals, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-12
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-08 10:14:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1131435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star_lili/pseuds/star_lili
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not everything goes according to plan and not everything goes according to how you want it. Others have to learn that the hard way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Le_Confidant (Noire)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noire/gifts).



> A suggestion and request from none other than Le Confidant (Noire)!
> 
> I had a lot of time for thinking how I wanted this to start and now I have it.

  
_  
_**Prologue:**  


* * *

_That - That jerk!_ She thought as she huffed around her apartment.

 

_To think that I actually-_

 

"ARRRGH!" she yelled rubbing furiously on her curly hair that she had taken time on earlier for her date. "It's horrible Ki-Ki. I give this man a chance and he totally blew me off because of that Shit-head Colonel." The tabby perched on the sofa just gave a soft _'meow'_ and stretched on the violet fabric.

 

"I mean seriously. We bickered and argued and the way he had asked me out in the beginning was awkward and cute, so I gave it to him. I said yes and then on our second date he says that he's packing for...Central..." 

 

 _Central?!_ So Havoc was leaving for Central? Well Riza had told her also that she was going away as well and she did mention some other subordinates that Mustang had appointed to escort and work under him. Guess she had missed hearing Jean's name, to worried about Riza leaving her was on her mind at that time. Now she'll really be alone. Havoc after all was kind of her past time when she was feeling down in the dumps, and the only way he eased her worries were when she was bickering and - slash- or flirting with him.

 

_Oh crap...he's going to break up with me!_

_What should I do?_

 

 _Break up with him first..._ she had only been dumped once and that was when she just at he tender age of fourteen...that hadn't been good at all. She had been too emotionally attached to her boyfriend at that time. Havoc was a friend at first to her and being romantically involved with the man afterwards was a big step for Rebecca ever since her break up at fourteen. He was the only friend that she let become her boyfriend.

 

 _But still...I don't want to suffer from a long distance relationship only to bring it down in flames in the future._ Ki-Ki was now at her legs purring around them, letting her master know that she was hers. Rebecca smiled wistfully and petted the cat on her head and scratched behind it's ears. After the cat was content enough to go back to the sofa, Rebecca headed towards her phone on her desk and dialed the familiar number. Her heart pounded in her chest as it rang and she forced her self in a deep breath to calm her nerves. Afterall, she had done this plenty of times before. There was a rasp on the other line and a gruff voice.

 

_"Havoc."_

 

"Hey Jean. Finished packing?" she asked with a smile.

 

 _"Oh! Hey Becca. Yeah I did actually. I'm leaving first thing tomorrow."_ she heard him sigh. _"It's not fair. I just got told this today too!"_ she giggled at his pouting tone.

 

"Oh stop being a baby Havoc. I'm sure your wife won't like it."

 

_"Stop referring Mustang as my wife! It's not my fault he's my superior."_

 

"You just like being told what to do Havoc. I know you like it."

 

 _"Shut up."_ Breath In.

 

"That's one of the reasons why I'm breaking up with you..."

 

 _"..."_ Oh I guess that caught him off guard.

 

_"C-come again...I thought I heard you say that you're breaking up with me."_

 

"Yeah...Sorry Jean. I don't do long distance relationships. Too much of a hassle. I mean come on you should know. You've had a few yourself."

 

 _"...I guess you're right then...I...I know how it goes. Uh...are we still friends though?"_ Rebecca widened her eyes at that. She was supposed to ask that not him.

 

"Yeah...still friends..."

 

_"Okay then. I left something on the fire right now so I'll let you go."_

 

"Sounds good!" she said with a happy tone. "I'll call you some other time...actually you can call me first...I won't have your new number."

 

_"Heh. Yeah don't worry. Talk to you later."_

 

Then she heard a click. And she hung up her phone as well.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything goes according to plan, and not everything goes according to how you want it. Others have to learn that the hardway.

_**Chapter 1:**  
_

* * *

_Thunder rolled and lightning flashed in the dark grey clouds covering the sky. It was unusual weather this time of year, but Jean wasn't complaining. It was how his hometown was. What was rural weather without some sort of confounding elements. It was kind of how mood swings of women were. One particular woman for example._

_"Jean! I told you about handling the finances of the shop when I was away for a week. We are not that thriving for all this!" He sighed and turned his head towards the woman who took care of him since infancy at the doorway. She was getting older and that was apparent when he looked at her eyes the crows feet and her face with a little crinkles at the edge of her lips that depicted her laugh lines...or frown lines...considering how much grief he had caused her with his mischief when he was in childhood._

_"Mother, did you even look at the bill this month? I only ordered these when I was given the amount of money I needed for it." he said a little exasperated. She had been trying to find little things to call him out on and some weren't even his fault or weren't even important for running the shop his family owned. He didn't understand why she was acting this way._

_"Now Jean, don't go sassing me! I was just merely assuming. But you do know how to run the shop well. I just wish you could stay here...longer." The young man widened his eyes and then softened them when she had a sad look on her face. He then realized what was bothering her._

_"I do know how to run this shop don't I? I never realized on how much I knew of before Dad passed." He drew in a shuddering breath at the mention of his father. They hardly talked about him, Jean Havoc Sr. He was taught so much by him, like fishing and sports and how to run the shop when his mother needed help. The man was brilliant in business and had graduated from secondary only to get a woman pregnant and married out of wedlock. His father did love his mother with so much affection and tenderness. He was always told by the old man that Havoc's General was founded with just a stand that looked like a lemonade booth. The man did have his downs in life as well. He had wanted and always had wanted to start a business after Central University. The dream could not come true however with a pregnant woman and a future family to think about. There was an incident when his father had an affair, but had broken it off when he had realized how much his son was starting to loathe him because of the betrayal. After mending the family back together he lived more a few more years and had a stroke at the age of thirty four. It left his family in shambles._

_"I'm sure that Johnny here would be of great help here when I leave for the Military Academy wouldn't he? I'll teach him what he needs before I go. I'll make sure of it." he said looking towards the woman who was tearing up. He watched with softened eyes while she wiped her tears out of her eyes before they fell. He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her._

_"I just...it's always been your fathers dream that you run it after him. I remember when you were so excited when he let you help around here. He's taught you everything."_

_"I know, Mother...but it's not my dream." he sighed. She buried her head into his chest._

_"Please Jean...Please be careful."_

 

* * *

 

_He gasped and coughed when he woke up from the memory, seeing that he woke up in the hospital room. He moaned as he shifted around the firm bed and held his head as he felt it throbbing. Damn. He really had been hit hard. He shouldn't have gotten into that fight. He couldn't help it however since he had to go noble, protecting that Ishbalen from being picked on by his "fellow" students. It was all for naught though since he wasn't good at self-defense and his fathers words came back to him. "Now, Jean don't go picking fights you can't win." he chuckled and wondered how his mother would react to this if he told her. . . no, never mind he wouldn't tell her._

_They had crowded the dark-skinned kid in the alleyway between the two buildings. Typical cliché bullies, but then he went to be the typical hero. They kept on pushing the Ishbalen around and when he went to go help, the first thing that he saw coming was a fist to his face and after. . . he had blacked out!_

_"I'm such a wimp." he grumbled._

_"You sure are." a voice said next to him. He almost jumped out of his skin and looked towards the source of it. It was a young woman, with dark long lustrous hair. She had an oval face and dark eyes and looked to be in the military academy by the uniform she was wearing. He had never seen her around before. She was pretty. . .it was the first time he ever saw her though and she gave him such sly smirk at his condition. 'What the hell is her problem?' he thought, seething. 'Not pretty.' he thought once more._

_"I found you lying there flat on your face. I can tell you were in a fight. I didn't see it, but," she took something from inside her shirt and he had a chance to see a hint of cleavage. Yeah, she was big chested all right._

_"Wow, that was pretty fast. Interested in something?" she asked with a bit of humor and sultriness. He quickly looked to her face and felt heat rise up his cheeks. This woman was confusing him already. Didn't she already see him as some kind of wimp and yet here she was flirting with him. "Oh, come on don't be so modest. Here. . . a mirror. It's not big, but- Hey!" she squeaked when he quickly snatched it from her and looked upon his features. He scowled when he saw a huge bruise where his eye was and left cheek. It looked so dark and ugly and he wondered how he would ever flirt with girls again._

_"Oh, God." he groaned, touching the bruise lightly with the tips of his fingers and then winced when he felt the pressure there. "I look horrible." he sighed. He heard a slight giggle beside him and he rapidly turned his head to the woman beside his bed._

_"You don't look that bad. Think of it as some kind of warrior mark, you know. . . like something that was a rite of passage between that. . .er- that tribe in the East." she said blushing in embarrassment. He blinked his eyes and smirked._

_"Not that smart are ya." She puffed out her cheeks and snatched the mirror away from him in haste and quickly got up from her seat._

_"Look pal . . . I deserve some gratitude for calling someone to bring you here. I only stayed because I thought you were kind of manly and handsome, but hey, since I'm not smart, I guess my judgment on your features were wrong."_

_"Um. . . huh?" Did she call him ugly? He wasn't quite sure. Her laughter rang out._

_"If you couldn't understand that. . . then maybe your not so smart either. Definitely not my type of man." she said as she scampered her tight ass away. Yeah, she looked good in those pants too._

_"Hey!" he suddenly yelled out when he registered that insult in his head. "I-"_

_"And by the way. My name is Rebecca Catalina!" she said when she opened the door. When she was going out he breathed in._

_"Yeah! Jean Havoc."_

* * *

 

"Hey. Jean . . . We're here at the hotel." Rebecca said softly while shaking him on his shoulder, lightly pressing her fingertips on the muscle. He gave a moan and brushed of her hand.

 

"Come on. You can't sleep in the car. Besides I need to help you up remember?" she asked not expecting an answer. He opened his eyes and turned his head to her as she gave an irritated look.

 

"I shouldn't have been there all day. I'm really tired." he said yawning and she chuckled at his features as he opened his mouth wide.

 

"Well, what did you expect? You did race with Alphonse today. You both were exhausted and Edward wasn't so happy with that. Luckily he was smiling when he left."

 

"Yeah. It was fun while it lasted. I'll miss my little buddies."

 

"It's not forever. You could go ahead and visit them you know. You do live in the East." Havoc hummed and took off his seat belt while Rebecca opened her side door. He opened his as well and grunted as he twisted himself around and took the cane he had between his legs.

 

"Okay . Here we go big guy." she said playfully, grunting when she pulled him up from his seat and steadied him. "Well. My work here is done." Smiling she patted his arm quite roughly and he snorted at her lighthearted affectionate gesture. He kind of didn't want her to leave. True, they had their times were they were together. She had her day job and he would take train rides to Central to visit their friends and she would go with him when the train stopped at her station. He had never gone to see her in East City himself, but he can say they had a steady relationship. It was kind of a drag that they didn't see each other as often as he liked.

 

"Want to come up?" he asked. She chuckled and made him pout.

 

"I wouldn't mind spending the night either!" He choked a little on his saliva while she laughed and patted his back. He then smirked slyly.

 

"No. I wouldn't mind either. It could be exciting right?" he said leaning close to her face, giving her a leery smile. She quirked a brow.

 

"Jean. I'm not paying my hotel room for nothing. If you want me to spend the night with you . . . well actually who cares!" she smiled and led the way to entrance.

 

* * *

 

She slumped down on his slick withered form, panting heavily from their pleasurable exertions. To say she didn't enjoy this would be lie. Sure he didn't have enough strength in his legs, but he didn't have to for he had all that strength in his upper body. She absentmindedly traced his sweaty arm muscles, making him grunt as he moved a little under her.

 

"I've missed this." she sighed. He chuckled as he petted her thick dark locks.

 

"I know. Never thought you'd admit that to me." He yelped when she smacked his chest.

 

"Don't ruin the moment smart ass. Just enjoy it." He sighed through his nose, faintly smelling almonds and vanilla and also the scent of sex. It wasn't the first time they had done this after all and he was glad that she wanted to spend the night and that he didn't really have to ask her to.

 

"When do you have to go back to work?" he asked and she groaned as if she were in pain, nuzzling her face on the crook of his neck, faintly tickling his skin and making him squirm. "Rebecca! Hey-" she laughed and stopped her antics.

 

"You just had to go and make me think about work huh?"

 

"Well, I'm just asking, I mean I have to go back to the shop after tomorrow." She stayed quiet and then lifted herself off of him and lay down beside him, tracing his chest with her fingertip.

 

". . . Tomorrow." He stiffened at her words and she probably noticed because she stopped her petting.

 

"Did you tell me earlier? I don't reme-"

 

"No. I didn't tell you. Sorry I can't stay longer. That's kind of why I had to go back to my room."

 

"Not fair." he whined. "Do you have to pack still?" He felt her nod against him and he exhaled through his nose.

 

"Should've done that earlier Becca." She _'humphed'_ and turned her back towards him.

 

"I know Jean! But I didn't care and besides I spent all day with you today." He crossed his arms and turned away from her.

 

"So you're blaming me now? Well look here missy-"

 

"Just wanted to stay with you a little longer." He winced at her tone. And she didn't sound to happy about that. It had only been over two months since she asked him out and already they were attached to the hip with each other. Yeah, they had been friends for a long time and stuff, but they never really voiced that they liked each other or they were somewhat more than friends even though their actions said otherwise. He thought about her a lot and he wondered briefly what had gone into him. Yeah. . . he liked her, but what the hell?

 

"Anyway. . . she said suddenly, throwing a slender leg over his hip. "I think that we should spend what we can right now." He knew what that meant. And that tone was sexy so of course he just had to pull her over him enthusiastically.

* * *

 

"Jean! Phone call!" Havoc stopped looking at the bills and exhaled, finally having a break and walking over to his brother Johnny with the cane.

 

"Johnny, can you write down the stuff that we ordered for some customers, I feel like my brain is going to explode with all that arithmetic."

 

"Sure thing, Bro" he said while whistling out a tune that had been stuck in Havocs head all week. Damn that tune and now he was humming it in his head. "Stop it Johnny!

 

"You know you love it!" the young man yelled on the other side of the shop. Havoc rolled his eyes and picked up the phone from the table.

 

"Havoc's General." he said and then widened his eyes at the chuckle on the other side.

 

"Are you ready to start following me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd be posting on Monday, but some things just don't go as planned and it wasn't my fault I swear...Okay maybe a little. hehe 
> 
> Anyway I explained on my Tumblr what happened so I won't repeat the same thing again.
> 
> I'm nervous about this multi-fic, but I'll try my best to make it as how I want it to be!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rebecca is summoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually planned to get this done by the first week of March! Yay me! I'm sick and I keep on having headaches and I'm just like gross and coughing my lungs out. I also have an ear infection so like almost everything I hear is like muffled. It's freakin annoying! And I hurt.
> 
> Anyway. I was in L.A. and I can't tell you how happy I am just feeling rain from S.F. To me L.A. rain and Frisco rain is very different. 
> 
> This chapter seems to short for me. And I'm sorry for that.

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 

 

It was tiring really. She didn't want to go to work today, especially since it wasn't really anything. She just had to be there and file away some paperwork. Office work was a bitch, but her job was good. Fuehrer Grumman made sure that the specific people that mostly correlated with him in the coup d'état had good jobs and climbing up in the ranks. She was now colonel along with Riza.

 

Today she forced herself out of bed and she was dreaming really nicely too. The lips that she thought she was kissing was actually Ki-Ki licking her lips with her sand paper tongue and she felt a lot of embarrassment from that. After taking a proper shower and a lot of scrubbing of teeth, she fed her cat and headed out the door. She cranked her automobile as many times as needed and made sure to turn the key to magneto and also turned to lever as hard and as fast as she could to let it start.

 

The car had made a spluttering noise and then the engine stayed quiet. She tried once more and it repeated.

 

"Holy Sh- Please, Baby Please! Not today!" she cried, pleading into the radiator. She repeated the process and the car once more gave that horrible noise and stopped.

 

"Shit! This isn't fair! I know that this auto is old, but c'mon!" She sighed and wished more than anything that Havoc could've been there to start up the car. He was just handy with these things. He was useful and . . . she missed him.

 

 _'Grrr. Stop it Rebecca! I only miss him because he knows how to deal with these type of things! Nothing more!'_ she thought with gritted teeth. She rubbed her face against the front of the car with a piteous moan and sluggishly brought her way from the vehicle. She grabbed her handbag and headed towards the corner of the street onto the heavy traffic flow. She didn't want to do it and it was only a few times she had done, but with the sake of having a good job and a good lunch to look forward to she had to.

 

"Taxi!"

 

* * *

 

 

"Late again, Colonel Catalina?" General Thomas said with a playful grin as she snorted and plopped herself down in the chair in his office. She stretched out her arms, arching her back and gave a tired moan, then relaxed as she exhaled. She turned her head toward the brunette man and fluttered her eyelashes.

 

"I don't suppose you already punched me in?" she asked with a hopeful voice. He gave a deep chuckle and waved a hand in her direction.

 

"Don't worry, Babe. Got it all covered, this is the third time this week. The auto again?" she gave an unimpressed look as she thought about the dying old car.

 

"Yeah. . . I don't know." she sighed. General Thomas Viceroy shook his head.

 

"If you want, I could take a look at it. And besides I've never been to your apartment before." he said with a smirk as she rolled her eyes.

 

"Yes, Thomas you could take a look at it if you want, I'll have someone bring it here so you could observe it here." she smiled innocently at him as he pouted.

 

"We're still on for lunch right?" he asked while looking over the paperwork on his desk. One thing Rebecca did admire about the man was that he meant business and didn't waste time at his job. She was lucky also to work under such a flexible boss and she was able to pull a few strings in this office because of his little infatuation with her. Ever since she got promoted, she had worked under him and he always tried to hint in on his attraction towards her. She wasn't going to file a sexual harassment sheet either because he always kept his teasing light.

 

"Yes, Sir. Of course since I am not paying for it." she said with a grin and walked out of his private office, her talk to her boss done about her recent tardiness.  She walked over to her desk and threw herself on the chair, ready to sign away some papers. A loud 'Thump' resounded in the whole office and she groaned when a new stack of papers were seen next to her. She glared at the woman with blond short hair and brown eyes.

 

"Marie!" she whined. The woman grinned and fixed her skirt.

 

"Oh, Rebecca. It's not that bad and besides I didn't only come here to deliver this delicious bunch to you." Rebecca furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her to go on. "You've got a phone call and - Whoa!" Marie exclaimed as Rebecca went running past her to the phone near the door outside.

 

"Rebecca Catalina!" she exclaimed breathlessly.

 

 _"Hello my dear, sweet Rebecca how are you doing?"_ she groaned and put a hand on her forehead at the voice who was Fuehrer Grumman. She had thought it was someone else. . .

 

She looked around eyeing the corners specifically and put on a happy tone.

 

"Yes Michelle. How many times did I tell you not to use the military lines?" she asked playfully and the pretended womanly giggle made her awkward.

 

 _"Well, my sweet, If you get your pretty butt out to the public lines, then it wouldn't be such a problem."_ Rebecca nodded and hung up quickly and headed outside the building for the nearest telephone booth. When outside she saw that there was more people outside than usual and somehow that kept her on her toes. Something didn't feel right already and what did Grumman suddenly want with her anyway.

 

"THE HIGH OFFICIALS ARE TOO BE BLAMED FOR OUR FORMER FUHERES DEATH!" a booming voice called out startling Rebecca. She looked over to the platform where a well dressed man spoke aloud on a megaphone. She rolled her eyes at the ruckus and how people gathered around the stage. The Bradley supporters hadn't really died out and she wondered if the same outbursts were still happening in Central City. These people weren't that violent except for that one occurrence in Central were there was a bombing near the gate of Central HQ. That one was just a silly threat though since the bomb hadn't really been that big, but some of the group was detained nonetheless.

 

She went to the booth that was in the park near East HQ and picked up the telephone when it was ringing. She wasn't surprised. Grumman probably had men somewhere and informed him where she would be at. She picked up the telephone and scanned around the perimeter and spoke into it.

 

"Fuehrer, Sir. Rebecca Catalina at your service." A chuckle was heard through the end of the line and she arched an eyebrow. 

_"Oh, Rebecca. There's no need for formalities."_ She rolled her eyes and leaned on the glass inside the booth.

 

"Grumman? What's the problem. You never actually called me yourself." she asked and the old man sighed. She was actually close to the old man since he sort of took her under his wing since she was deployed to East Headquarters.

 

 _"How is the East today?"_ he asked suddenly. She looked around and still noticed that the protestor was still occupying the streets.

 

"Nothing out of the usual. Just a few protestors still on the streets, letting everyone know their business. Seriously, they don't even know what the hell happened and they still are yapping away." she said while playing with the ends of her ponytail.

 

 _"Hmmm. Come down to Central for a visit why don't you?"_ he suggested over the lines. She rolled her eyes.

 

"Train tickets are not that cheap you know. And I can't drive there either since something's screwy with my car. I'm having someone over to look at it today."

 

 _"Leave tomorrow at sunset. I already purchased you tickets. They should be in the mail. Do what you need to do with your auto, yes?"_ she could hear the smug tone in his voice and she inwardly fumed.

 

"What the hell is going on Grumman!" she whispered harshly. "You want me to go to Central and you won't even tell me . . . I understand, Sir." She was so slow sometimes and mentally kicked herself.

 

 _"I will see you in two days. Good day, Miss Catalina."_ The click sounded in her ears and she put the phone at the rest.

 

Something was going on. What it was, she didn't know. Why did she ever think for a second that this country was at ease?

 

* * *

 

 

"Well here you go. My baby!" Rebecca grinned, showing her boss the car she was with. She looked back from her car and scowled at General Thomas's reaction. He looked in shock, mouth wide open with her black - well - mostly Black 1899 Otto Model A automobile!

 

"Well?" she asked, already knowing what he was going to say. Thomas was a classy man after all and no way was he going to-

 

"Well I'll be! An 1899 Otto Model A! You're the first person I've seen with this model. This is like seventeen years old! How did you get this?" Rebecca widened her eyes. He was all excited over an old car, but she had to admit that she liked the car a lot. She smiled warmly. He was not the first man to get excited about her Otto. Havoc's reaction had been way over the top and she'd had practically seen the steam come out his nostrils to work on the beast right away. She tried taking car of the car because of Havoc, but the roof of the car was beginning to be faded and looked a little rusted and there were bullet hole on the sides when she had forgotten to put the safety on her pistol. Her bumper was missing as well and it was gone overnight.

 

"It's a memento from my father. He gave it to me when I turned of age." She smiled wistfully, thinking of the last time she saw him on his death bed.

 

"General Catalina sure had a taste in cars. . . And he's made such a beautiful daughter." he grinned. She chuckled and shoved him a little. "I'll pop the hood. I'm sure it's no big-" his sentence stopped as he opened the faded black hood and frowned. "Catalina the engine in this thing. . . I didn't expect it to be like this. It's so old. I wonder if they even sell parts for this anymore." She was about to speak until he told her to start the engine. She huffed at being ordered around and put the key into the ignition and climbed right out, crossing her arms. He frowned again.

 

"If you haven't noticed this is from 1899. It requires a special process that took me forever to get it right. What do you think the crank is there for?" she asked playfully. He scratched his head and sighed. "Here." she said and bumped him with her hip. She opened the choke on the side of the radiator with her left hand and started spinning the crank with her right hand. It took about three turns for it to prime. She looked back and saw him watching at the task intently.

 

"We have to wait for the fuel in the car to heat up first then start the engine." she explained. He just nodded his head and went closer the car.

 

"Er. . . how long does this take?" he asked hesitantly. She chuckled and patted his shoulder.

 

"Not long. Just five minutes. . . Anyway are you sure you can work on this. The problem is when I turn the crank to start the engine it won't start anymore."

 

"Uh. . . well. I'll just check the engine inside when you start it." She nodded and looked around the streets. She needed to tell the General about going to Central, but she didn't know how to explain the situation. Grumman never told her to. About to open her mouth to speak, she stopped suddenly when she found him starting at her quizzically. The look was gone as fast as it came however.

 

"I was informed there will be a date for those who haven't taken their immunizations as of yet when they were supposed to. For some reason Immunizations are to be held in Central Headquarters."

 

"That sucks for those who didn't take them yet." she said a little confused. Why on earth would her be talking of injections with her. She wasn't really interested, but was hearing nonetheless because the word Central kept ringing in her head. He chuckled when she scratched her cheek in confusion.

 

"You're caught Catalina. You're one of those people. Are you afraid of injections or something?" he asked playfully. She was about to retort that she was certainly not afraid a ridiculous injection and she most certainly did take it until she thought back to tell how the Fuehrer had called her to make her go to the capital. She silently thanked Grumman.

 

"Oh, damn. Of course I'm not afraid of it. It just slipped my mind. I would be sure to get  it done on your orders, Sir."

 

"Of course I'm going to tell you to go. Whether I tell to or not you would have to. It's very important to the Fuhrer that everyone of his soldiers are in top medical condition. This is no exception." He said crossing his arms. He sighed and smiled. "What am I going to do without you."

 

"You handle everything without me. Now how 'bout we check on my Otto."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference about the 1899 Otto Model A is taken from the 1925 Ford Model T.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, here it is!

"I don't know, Rebecca. Something tells me that your just lonely out there anyway. Maybe this is a good thing for you to come here for a while." Riza said over the phone, a smile apparent on her face. Her less than docile friend was just tiring her out and a good day off work on such a good day to walk her dog sounded just so good to her until the phone rang and at the other end a furious Rebecca was threatening to sucker punch the Fuhrer's face.

 

_"Oh, Riza! I'm not lonely. I've got friends here in East City and not to mention my cousin is just a train ride away."_

 

"How about two hours away. And besides it's not like I won't be transferred there soon. We've talked a lot about transferring back to East City since Mustang is so familiar with it."

 

_"There you go again with that man! You always talk about him, Riza."_ Rebecca complained. _"I don't brag about the General I work under."_ Riza sighed in annoyance. She had only mentioned Mustang's name once on the phone and Rebecca complains about her always speaking of him. Please! Like she didn't have any other things on her mind. Not only that Rebecca mentioned General Thomas thrice. That seemed more than enough.

 

"Rebecca. Are you lonely?" Riza asked for the umpteenth time. The other end of the phone went quiet for awhile, making Riza believe that the other occupant had hung up until a cough was heard on the other end.

 

_"Fine, Riza, I'm lonely and I don't know what to do about it. When are you transferring?"_ Riza thought it a little adorable how Rebecca was hard in admitting any feelings that would consider her to be whiny. Sure Rebecca was whiny, but she wouldn't really be for long once she was over at Central. Riza stifled a chuckle.

 

"In maybe about a month or so." After Rebecca's insufferable groan, Riza switched the phone over to the other shoulder and grabbed Hayate's leash. The dog hopped around excited until Riza snapped her fingers, making the dog walk over to her calmly.

_"Riza, tell that jerk boss of yours to hurry!"_

 

"He's not really my boss as much as he was remember?" Riza said quietly, remembering the talk just after the Elrics left. "Speaking of men, have you heard from Havoc?"

 

_"Havoc? Who's Havoc?"_

 

"Rebecca." Riza said sternly, petting her dog behind the ears. "I thought you two were --"

 

_"Got to go, Riza! I'll miss my appointment!"_

 

"What?!" Riza shouted now irritated, but it was too late and now Rebecca had hung up. Riza, a little surprised and incredulous, roughly put the phone back and almost pulled Hayate out the door. It was a good thing that she had a day off and Rebecca was not really going to spoil her good mood.

 

* * *

 

 

"This came in, Sir." Riza passed the letters to the General. Mustang observed the address, scoffed, and then turned around in his chair, facing the window.

 

"You could put that in the trash, Colonel." He said while sipping his coffee nonchalantly.

 

"Sir, you know as much as I do that you want tot read it; after all, it's from your prodigy." Riza had to hide a smirk when the raven haired man flinched a little and set his cup back on the mahogany desk.

 

"He is not my prodigy." he said with his arms crossed.

 

"Sir, I think it's best if you take it now." Mustang twitched and quickly took the letter, watching cautiously that Riza walked back to her desk. She thought she could feel his gaze and was tempted to look back at him to reprimand him, but then maybe he wasn't and she didn't want to look like a fool.

 

"So, how was your day off Colonel?" Fuery asked behind his transmission radio. He looked like he was tampering with it again and it looked pretty old as well, not that she would know as much about it like him.

 

"It went as I expected." She said blandly, but still with a smile. Breda rolled his eyes.

 

C'mon. What did you really do?" he asked, leaning on his chair.

 

"The only thing out of the ordinary would be Rebecca calling and she calls only when she has days off. She's due to come to Central and should be coming in today at noon. She wanted me to go See her." Riza looked at the clock and sighed when she saw that was only nine o'clock.

 

"Well, you only work half a day today so you could enjoy your time with her." Mustang suddenly said while looking over the contents of the letter. Riza saw a hint of a smile when his eyes scanned the letter and she wondered if Edward had put something else of how useless his former commanding officer was. Spending half a day with Rebecca sound as bad as he made it sound. Maybe she could really corner her and ask about her relationship with Havoc. She didn't really want to know all that much. She only wanted to have some amusement and payback when Rebecca demanded what her relationship was with the Brigadier General.

 

"Only for amusement anyway." she said with a smirk.

 

"Okay, that sounds really evil and I don't want any part of it." Breda commented nervously and set his chair right again, looking over the paperwork on his desk.

 

"Of course I won't ask for any help and I don't plan on being poor company either." Riza said while heading over to Mustang's desk once again. She noticed that he was frowning now at the stack of papers in her hands and she simply shrugged and placed them on his desk.

 

* * *

 

 

The train whistle sounded loud in Rebecca's ears and she felt her stomach settle as the train set at a stop. In truth she was a little frightened on train rides since she was a little girl and for her fathers amusement, he would take her almost everywhere on them. Her memory was a little fuzzy about why she was frightened, but she wasn't really going to dwell on the thought any longer since she wanted to get on the damned thing already.

 

The trains to Central were always packed and busy and she had forgotten about that fact until she felt prodded at and groped and squished on the aisle. She had to elbow a man when he groped her ass and quickly left him there holding his side and groaning while she hopped off the stairs.

 

She rubbed her sore bottom and cursed the seats in her head until she saw a familiar head.

 

"Riiizaaa!" she waved, letting the blond woman know that she had arrived.

 

"Rebecca, how was your trip?" Riza asked when she came closer. She anticipated that she would complain about it just like that.

 

"Oh! It was horrible. You know how it gets on trains and especially the ones heading to Central. Those are definitely the busiest. I have no trouble visiting my cousin in the countryside. Even when I visit Jean it's as empty as the barren land!" Rebecca snorted. "Not to mention, you don't have old men trying to grope you on crowded trains."

 

"Hmm. Well, if it's any consolation, an old man groped me once before, but of course that didn't end that well with him and the military are just ready to sleep around with any plain woman in sight."

 

"Not really. Most are not even into the military type. Aren't we lucky women to have such nice us on us. . .well I wouldn't consider Mustang being nice and all, but he is handsome and I'll give him that." Riza quickly turned and walked in her apartment direction, having Rebecca hastily following after her or else she would be left on the train platform.

 

"Oh, come on, Riza. Just tell me about your relationship with the man already! It can do me some good. Or maybe you can introduce me to a fine man here." Rebecca teased. She knew that if Riza had any feelings for the man at all -- which she did -- she wouldn't even spill an ounce of suspicion. Rebecca liked this relationship of theirs. They didn't even have to say their problems out loud; she swore that they were connected on a mental level. Riza wasn't the type to share feelings or any emotional highs. Rebecca was the one who was more emotional and sometimes would feel that Riza was biting off more than she can chew with her. Of course, Riza never stated any problem with her though and she doubt she ever would.

 

* * *

 

 

The walk to the apartment was colder than Rebecca expected, probably because East City felt warmer now that Spring was almost over to let Summer take over. Her calves were exposed to the open air and her light jacket wasn't really doing much to keep her skin goose bumping.

 

"So I expect that you would be staying over in my apartment. You haven't mentioned staying at an inn here."

 

"Well, I wouldn't want you to go through any trouble. . ." Rebecca grinned. Riza snorted, but smiled kindly.

 

"I think you would stay over even if it was any trouble."

 

"Oh, Riza! Your so kind and sweet and--"

 

"Rebecca, please stop." Riza groaned while going up the steps to her apartment, Hayate following along her heels.

 

Rebecca was glad when they entered the comfy apartment and when she had tea and sweet bread that Riza would get mostly for her. She couldn't help that Riza knew why she was called to Central. Central wasn't as dangerous now like how it was before with the bombing and the non-stop protesting turned to riots. All of that -- now that she thought about it -- had been mild than when the extermination of Ishval was taking place. The city police have taken care of those pesky outbursts.

 

"Riza, do you have any idea why I'm all the way out here. What does Grumman really want with us?" Rebecca asked quietly. Riza sipped her tea, then put it down gently on the table. She then looked at her friend as she contemplated whether or not she could share some details of what so far had been told to her. Mustang knew more and she bet that he didn't really tell her what he knew.

 

"We will be informed at the briefing." she said simply. "I don't really know much about it, but it has something to do with the riots."

 

"Riots?" Rebecca asked. "There hasn't been that many riots in Central right?" Riza shook her head. "Then. . .?" Rebecca scratched her chin with her fingernails, trying to understand what was going on. There hadn't been anything too severe in Central for a couple of weeks.

 

"I'm not too sure, Rebecca, but I'm sure we will know at the briefing and I'm also sure we will know what we need to know."

 

"Well, that's fine and dandy, for you." Rebecca said crossing her arms with a scowl. Riza just shrugged, ignoring her friend's unpleasantness and continued sipping at her coffee. She set the cup down and motioned towards Rebecca's cup. Rebecca took the hint and put it to her lips, sipping it with a disgruntled face. Obviously Riza wanted her to shut up and now that she succeeded, Rebecca was more vulnerable to an unpleasant conversation. She almost kicked herself for always falling for this trick.

 

"So. . .How's Havoc, Rebecca. I remember when you used to talk about him nonstop and I always hung up the phone for it." Rebecca almost chocked on her drink and quickly set it down, making a sharp noise on the wooden table, which frightened Hayate who was resting against Riza's feet.

 

"Nothing. . . Nothing that I know about. I haven't talked to him lately and I don't know if he has called or not."

 

"He hasn't left any messages?"

 

"Well, he did and I was going to call him, but it slipped my mind when I went to work." Rebecca hoped she didn't look like she was lying. She didn't really keep track of her messages and it had so happened that she had come across one of his, but she didn't call him back because she went out to lunch wit Thomas. She wasn't going to tell Riza that; it wasn't that important to just say. Why were they even talking about this anyway. If Riza wanted to talk relationships, then by all means she will talk of relationships.

 

"So, Riza, anything new in the office, or maybe outside of the office? Something that has to do with Mustang?"

 

"He is his usual self. Everything's the way they're supposed to be." she said calmly.

 

"Right. But not the way you want it to be, right?" At that, Riza stood up and took Rebecca's half empty cup along with hers and placed them n the sink.

 

"Ah! Riza, I wasn't finished with that!" Rebecca cried.

 

"Let's get you settled in, Rebecca, but tonight you're sleeping on the couch since Hayate is sleeping on the other side." Riza smirked at her friends grumbled response about how dogs having more humane rights then her.

 

* * *

 

 

"Geeze, no rain today?" Havoc asked forlornly. He wondered at the unusual weather since it was rather warmer than usual. Yesterday was just windy and cold.

 

"Well, I'm certainly glad it isn't. Can you imagine the traffic if thee was." Roy pointed out.

 

"I know you are," the man said smugly, causing Roy to growl lowly in his throat, "But I came from the countryside and over there in the East, it is warmer than this. I was hoping I was going to get a break."

 

"Alright, I know you have nothing good to say now since you're talking about the weather. No wonder you're so bad with women." Havoc huffed and quickly covered Roy's line of vision with his palm, the raven haired man yelped and quickly smacked Havoc's hand away and continued driving with his other hand. After Havoc backed away, Mustang looked over the man who was getting a kick at his frightened reaction.

 

"DAMMIT! YOU ASSHOLE! WHAT THE FUCK!?" He looked to the road again, his face hot with anger, embarrassment, and fright and wished Riza was here to scare off the overbearing man. He then noticed some smudges on his lenses and tried to focus on the road with them. Whenever he reached a stop he will clean them off.

 

"You're no picnic yourself, Mr. Ladies Man, tell me how much Hawkeye would swoon at your feet." Jean laughed. "Not to mention, I have a girlfriend thank you very much."

 

"Ah, yes. The beautiful loud mouth." Mustang smirked. Seeing no retort from Havoc, he eyed the him questioningly. He was surprised to see such a stoic face on him as he just stared off in the distance. "Hey, how about we get some drinks after work." Mustang suggested. Havoc nodded with a smile and leaned back in his seat.

 

"How very generous and very unusual. Usually Breda is the one who would do this."

 

"And it's always me that pays the tab." Roy said with a roll of his eyes.

 

"You're gonna be broke after tonight." Mustang's only response to that was a grumble as he kept driving to headquarters.

 

* * *

 

 

When they finally entered the building, Havoc was thankful for the air conditioning, though his military uniform was a bit of a nuisance. He was also glad that he didn't need the cane as much to walk around, but when he felt it was needed, he would pace himself with it. Everything looked the same inside when he worked here last and the walk to Mustang's office was longer than he remembered. As he entered the office with Mustang following, he was clapped on the back really hard by Breda.

 

"Hey! Good to have you back!" Breda yelled. "Hey, look at who decided to not lay around on the job!"

 

"Hey! I was an invalid remember?!" Havoc asked. He huffed when Breda laughed.

 

"Excuses, Excuses." Breda replied nonchalantly while Fuery made his way to the three.

 

"Wow. You look great! How are things in the shop and how's Mrs. Havoc?" Fuery asked happily. Havoc just sighed and scratched his head.

 

"Shops doing great. My brother is look after it. The woman is fine too and--"

 

"She almost whipped you when she heard you were coming back here, huh?" Breda said amused.

 

"Shut up, Breda!" Havoc yelped red in the face. He remembered when he told his mother the news and she had taken off her sandal and threw it at his head. She had been upset at first, but cooled down over time. Besides, the hit wasn't even that hard, but he was not going to mention that to any of the men.

 

"Oh, by the way, General, the Colonel is at the briefing already and I hope you make it there on time." Fuery added in. The laughter died down and Mustang quickly glanced at the clock.

 

"Shit! Let's go Havoc!" Mustang yelped, grabbing on to Havoc's arm and practically dragged him out of the room. He cursed himself when he had gotten Hawkeyes call earlier and just sleepily agreed to everything she said about being there on time and now he was going to get scolded.

 

* * *

 

 

Rebecca fiddled with the pen as she waited for the meeting to start, sitting nest to Riza who was just sitting there patiently with her hands folded and face somewhat disgruntled.

 

"You know, if you keep frowning like that you'll get wrinkled faster." Rebecca teased.

 

"I'll make a note on that as soon as this is done." Riza replied, eyeing the door.

 

"Oh, I guess Mustang is going to be late again, huh?" the other woman wondered. Not that she care, but seeing her friend being in a mood, she had to make sure that the displeasure would not be pointed her way, which never really was.

 

"I don't know why I even inform him of things when he just irresponsibly--" her complaint got caught off as the doors opened to reveal the final people of the party. Mustang seemed panicked and pulled at someone to get in the line of vision. Rebecca squeaked uncomfortably as she viewed the person who was behind Mustang.

 

"Riza," Rebecca whispered harshly, "Why didn't you tell me Havoc would be here!" She almost wanted to melt in her seat when Havoc was looking for a place to sit down. She was glad another officer had taken the seat next to her, but he would still see her and she would not be pleased. And why did she try to take a break from him anyway?

 

"Must've slipped my mind," Riza said eyeing the officers. She caught Mustang's gaze, making sure to intimidate him with her stare. As soon as he saw it, he quickly looked the other way and headed for the back _. 'Good'_ she thought.

 

"What!? How?" Rebecca demanded, thankful that Havoc headed towards the end of the room with Mustang, not daring to turn her head and watch him take a seat. Before Riza could answer, Major General Pearson walked in with his two subordinates. General Pearson was a tall man with a bald head and wrinkles by his mouth, showing that he had more frowns in his life. He was a serious man as everyone in the room knew, but not as frightening as Lieutenant General Armstrong who was placed in the north. Everyone stood up to salute as he went to the front then saluted them back. After he did, everyone sat and waited patiently as his subordinate on the right gave him a clipboard.

 

"I'm General Pearson and I am in charge of this operation. These are my most trusted subordinates, Colonel Parlay and Colonel Altec. Also Brigadier General Mustang is second in command if anything should happen to me.  Please stand." Everyone looked back at Mustang except for Riza, who was still displeased, and Rebecca, who was trying not to catch Havoc's eye. Mustang saluted then sat back in his seat.

 

"I am sure you have heard of the rioting in the streets. I'm sure most of you have deemed them unimportant as I have, but recently the Fuehrer has been receiving letters. Of course he has gotten them before, but," The room darkened as a picture was shown on the wall, "This pattern of writing has been most seen threatening Fuehrer Grumman's life." Everyone read the letter that the slide showed:

 

          "Grumman, you must step down and we demand that you tell us the       truth of Bradley's death. We will be forced to remove you if you don't meet with our demands."

 

"There's plenty more, but our Fuehrer had thrown them out carelessly." the General sighed. "We have been monitoring the Fuehrer's home more closely. More guards are placed, but still we are not sure how these letters make it to the Fuehrer. The last of the letters were received a week ago. We are assuming the rioting has something to do with the letters and we are trying to figure out who is sending these letters. The envelopes have no return address and they are not even addressed to the Fuehrer's home either; they are blank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read and Review. Constructive Criticism is welcomed. :)


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He just calls from time to time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!

Rebecca laid lazily on the red chesterfield, quiet and sighing. Hayate would often sniff her socked feet and then would walk away to bring her some of his toys, which were slobbery and were not helping her mood a bit. Her cat would've just lounged with her when she was in this sort of mood.

 

Maybe it was a mistake to come to Central. She could've very well refused Grumman's demand; she'd done it before in the past. Not only that, she should've asked who was going to be part of the team as well and she was furious, furious that Grumman would think of inviting Havoc when he was not really in a condition where he could function well in military action, if any action would be needed. And she was angry with herself, letting herself take a break from Jean when he certainly didn't do anything wrong. She grabbed the nearest pillow and groaned into the rough fabric.

 

Riza had gone out to buy some groceries _'More like avoiding me and my mood.'_ Rebecca thought, rolling her eyes. _' I wouldn't be around me either.'_ Rebecca rubbed her face in annoyance and then glanced at the phone.

 

"I'm not going to call." Rebecca said to herself. Havoc's words rung in her ear from earlier today and she felt her stomach try to form itself into a knot and her heart pounded rapidly.

 

_"We'll probably talk later."_ Havoc had said to her.

 

* * *

 

 

_The meeting had ended and Pierre called up Mustang to the front of the room for a private conversation. Rebecca wondered if he would get reprimanded by the General and chuckled lightly at the thought. Seeing that man squirm was such an entertainment. She looked on her side and watched Riza shake her head disapprovingly._

_"Well hes getting what he deserved, right?" Rebecca said, amused. Riza merely sighed._

_"Rebecca?" Rebecca felt her body tingle at the voice and she quelled that feeling aside to focus on the man behind her. Havoc just stared at her once she was facing him and she saw how he did a once over on her figure, which was certainly not that noticeable under the uniform, and then looked into her eyes._

_"Hey, Havoc. Long time no see." she chirped. She looked behind her, wondering why Riza hadn't said anything and blinked in shock as she saw her friend retreating to the doorway. She inwardly fumed that Riza would do something like that and turned back to Havoc. She noticed that he still had his cane with him. "How are you?" she asked._

_"I - I'm doing great." He said hesitantly. "And you?"_

_"I'm fine. . . just kind of surprised to see you here. I wasn't expecting it." She quirked a brow when he glared._

_"Why? Because of this?" He challenged, holding his cane up a little, then setting it down with a loud tap. She opened her mouth, confusion at why he was suddenly angry._

_"No." she quickly affirmed, glaring at him because of his attitude. She saw his demeanor become calmed and raked a hand through his blond strands. "What's your problem?" His face became aggravated once more and saw his nose flare._

_"We'll probably talk later." he just said, looking around still looking kind of disgruntled. She merely nodded._

_"Are you waiting for Mustang?" she asked. He nodded his head and looked at the two superior officers._

_"Okay, well see you later?" she whispered and went to follow where Riza headed out._

* * *

 

 

Why he was upset at that very moment was lost to her. He hadn't even mentioned her not returning her phone calls, though he probably will. Did she really have a good excuse for that?

 

_'I was so busy at work'_

 

_'More like busy flirting with your commanding officer.'_ another voice said haughtily. Rebecca frowned and tried brushing that off.

 

Rebecca glanced at the phone, tempted to call Havoc and maybe finding someway get out of the future conversation if she explained herself right now.

 

Reaching out for the phone on the table, she planned out the many things she would and could say to the man until the phone started ringing, startling her and making her jump back with a shreik. She debated in answering it and decided to, half praying that it was Havoc and at the same time hoping that it wasn't. She lifted the phone from its cradle and held it to her ear.

 

"Hawkeye Residence, who is calling?" Rebecca spoke into the device.

 

"Oh, Catalina. . . Um. . . Is Ri -- er -- Hawkeye with you at the moment?" came the familiar voice and she smirked at the nervous edge in that man's words. He obviously wasn't expecting _her_ to answer the phone.

 

"Why, Roy, I'm really sorry to say that " _Ri-_ _er - Hawkeye"_ is out right now, but she should be coming back soon. Should I take a message?" she teased. She could practically feel the man fume on the other end of the line and she was reminded so much as to why she liked pushing this man's buttons though not as much as she liked to push Havoc's.

 

"No thanks." he answered curtly. Obviously he did not want her to know the reason why he was calling her precious friend, but she had an idea anyway and she was going to bring this up to Riza when that woman came back. Payback for her _"slip of the mind"_ earlier. _'YES!'_

 

"Okay then, I'll let her know you called!" she cheerfully said.

 

"N -- Actual -- " But he never got to finish his sentence when the brunette hung up the phone with amusement. Just then she heard the jangle of keys attempting to open the door and she straighter.

 

Riza went inside her apartment, calming Hayate down as he yipped and jumped up at her feet while trying to balance her groceries in her arms. She looked to Rebecca for some help and quickly let that idea down once she saw the mischievous glint and leery smirk on her friends face.

 

"Did I miss something?" Riza grumbled, not liking the way Rebecca's smirk was unnerving her.

 

"Oh, yes, you did apparently." Rebecca jested. Riza stared at Rebecca in confusion, cheeks reddening when she couldn't get why the woman was acting so weird and thought hard at what could possibly --

 

While wondering, her vision strayed to the clock and upon realizing the time her face felt warm all of a sudden and she knew why she was being scrutinized. She gripped at the bags tighter, heart stuttering in nervous anticipation. She hoped _that_ man had the common sense to not call while Rebecca was staying with her and she tried to calm herself down so that she wouldn't give herself away.

 

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Becca." she claimed. Rebecca simply shrugged, enjoying the way Riza's face was getting red. That was the only way Riza would give herself away and she enjoyed it because she looked so pretty while blushing.

 

"Okay then. I'll tell you!" she gushed while Riza grimaced and stared at her friend in warning. "Roy, oh, I'm sorry," she pretended to cough, "Mustang called and I just finished hanging up with him. He didn't give me a message to pass along, but he sure sounded awfully friendly."

 

"Oh, really?" Riza challenged. Rebecca nodded.

 

"He just slipped something by accident." Riza headed to the kitchen to put down the bags and shrugged out of her coat while Rebecca followed. "Riza, are you seeing Mustang?" she asked teasingly. Riza turned her head to glare a little at Rebecca and then sighed.

 

"No we are not. He just calls from time to time." she admitted, rubbing her cheek. Rebecca shifted on her toes.

 

"Time to time being . . .?"

 

"Okay, more than often." Riza grumbled. Rebecca grinned while Riza glared at her friend. Already knowing that this interrogation was payback for earlier, she threw a dishrag at the cajoling woman's head.

 

"I see you're in a better mood now?" Riza asked with a grumble. She turned to the groceries as Rebecca shrugged.

 

"It's nothing I can handle. It's just hard having a work relationship while you're dating a man. You have to handle it in a specific way. . ."

 

"Oh, really?" Riza questioned nonchalantly.

 

"Well, you should know, right?" Rebecca grinned. Riza chuckled at her friends playful banter.

 

"You're imagining things once again, Becca. Anyway, how did your talk with Havoc go? Are you guys together again?"

 

"What do you mean together again? We never broke up!" Rebecca cried. "And no, we haven't spoken yet. . . He got upset though for some reason."

 

"For some reason?. . .  Rebecca, you have not returned his calls. I think he has a right to be upset with you."

 

Rebecca stayed quiet. The way Havoc had been upset seemed to be way more than being upset for unreturned calls. He seemed a little bitter and she was surprised to see that in the easy going man. Besides that, he seemed sort of reluctant to speak to her as well. They could've very well grabbed some coffee and talked about anything, but that didn't seem to be the case.

 

"You should talk to him, Rebecca. It's not like you to keep holding things back. It kind of scares me!" Riza laughed. Rebecca nodded, chuckling in return. After all there was no harm in letting a few things slip out of your mouth. . .or she could just seduce him and just reunite again with their bodies. It didn't really matter to her. Either way would be just as good.

* * *

 

 

"I wonder how these people even managed to get past the guards. Either they weren't doing thier job right, or there are too little." Breda pointed out. Mustang rubbed his chin and looked to the Fuehrer's home once more.

 

"What you say is true, Breda; however, anyone can sneak past a guard and let me tell you how easy that would be."

 

"Careful what you say out loud, Mustang." Rebecca smirked, crossing her arms and leaning towards the man. "A group of people suspect that either you or General Armstrong have something to do with this. They are mostly blaming you though since Olivier is stationed in the North."

 

"That's true, Boss. And I'd bet without a doubt that if word got to the General about this, she would totally have fun using you as a means to reach the title as Fuehrer as quickly as possible." Havoc said, taking a long, drawn out smoke. He exhaled when Rebecca walked away from him to the stack of suspects on the table.

 

"Hawkeye, any word from the Pierre, yet?" Mustang asked, grimacing at the thought of what Olivier would do in this situation. He was grateful that she wasn't present and wouldn't be until a couple of months. Riza shook her head.

 

"He plans to have other personnel join in the investigation. Oh, and Sheizka plans to give us some criminal records from Investigations." Riza informed. Roy sighed. If the General planned on getting other people involved in the investigation, that would mean he didn't really trust that his team could handle it.

 

"Uh. . .  General, we have a situation." Fuery piped up. "There's a rendezvous going on in the basement of the "Silver Goose" pub. They say that Ranchester will be there to be a spokesperson."

 

"Is that so?" a voice echoed in the small room causing Mustang to turn sharply around. "I plan to have police there now." Pierre snapped his fingers and his officer quickly handed him stapled papers.

 

"Sir, a word?" Mustang suddenly sked as Pierre gave him a disapproving glare, but complied nonetheless. Mustang waved his hand at his subordinates to continue their doings. They walked down into the hall, shutting the door and Pierre immediately grunted. Mustang felt highly offended that the General would walk in his office without so much as a knock, but he showed no signs of it as he spoke.

 

"General, I think an ambush at the pub isn't necessary at the moment. All they are doing is a harmless meeting, am I not correct?" Pierre sighed through his nose, a tell tale sign that he was getting impatient with the man. Mustang stood straighter.

 

"I really doubt that it's hardly a 'harmless' meeting. Obviously these hooligans are planning another violent protest and Ranchester is hardly a man who believes a peaceful fight is necessary to try to get their point across. He is highly susceptible for this treason against the Fuehrer. . . Unless there is a reason why you are hesitant in arresting the people in that meeting and Ranchester himself." Pierre challenged. Mustang blinked his eyes in confusion.

 

"I'm sorry, I'm not following. . ."

 

"Hmm. Of course not. . ." The bald man uttered. He brushed the front of his uniform and glanced down at the papers. "Anyway, I will delay the arrest until more evidence proves that this man is a reasonable suspect and I'd like more suspects handed to me in the next twenty - four hours. Do I make myself clear?" Mustang saluted begrudgingly.

 

"Yes, Sir."

 

"Good, then." the older man saluted back and Mustang followed him back into the room.

 

"Parlay. Altec." Pearson ordered. "We'll be heading back now."

 

"Yes, Sir." They both acknowledged. When they had left and the door had shut, Mustang let out an aggravated sigh while Havoc whistled.

 

"Wow." Rebecca said, amazed.

 

"Is everything fine, Sir." Riza asked. Mustang rolled his eyes.

 

"Of course it is Colonel. For now at least. Now. where are those mug shots?"

 

"Not here, yet. Remember?" Rebecca snorted. "Jeez, it's still hard to believe that your in charge of this little operation." Roy faintly heard grumbling from the other side of the room and he turned his gaze from Rebecca to the other two subordinates.

 

"What's the problem, Breda?" Mustang asked. Breda simply shook his head and sat back into the seat.

 

"S-some of the files I picked up this morning are missing. I swore I took them out of investigations.

 

"Probably misplaced them." Havoc concluded, putting his cigarette out and placing it in the ash tray. "I'm gonna take a piss." At Riza's pointed gaze, Havoc sheepishly ducked his head and high-tailed out of the room, nearly tumbling over Sheizka, who had a stack of files in her arms.

 

"Jeepers!" Sheizka yelped and then quickly almost yelped again as she suddenly came face to face with Rebecca.

 

"Yes! Finally, you came." she said happily and scooped up the stack of papers and placing all of them on Mustang's desk.

 

"W-well, uh, these are the criminal records you asked for General, though I'm not sure why you asked me to bring ones of indicted soldiers. Do you really suspect it's someone from the military or was in the military? Isn't that too soon?"

 

"The general believes that it has to be someone who has the intelligence to sneak past the guards of the Fuehrer. We do need more evidence though to know that it's a resigned indicted soldier or not, but it's where we chose to start." Riza clarified. Rebecca slumped down in her seat, head hanging back on the head rest.

 

"This is going to take all night, Mustang." she complained, but grabbed a folder nonetheless.

 

"We have all night, then." Mustang sighed, but still chose to smile as his subordinates all groaned in protest. He was glad that Rebecca chose not to say anything about the phone call yesterday and he hoped that it would stay like that for the rest of the evening.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank Le_Confidant for encouraging me to keep writing. This is her gift and a lot has gone on the past weeks and months where I had family problems. I had a serious writer's block and I couldn't get anything done because the problems were endless. Thanks to those who have encouraged me. Seriously you guys are great.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well. I don't even know what you want, Rebecca!" Havoc yelled, rubbing his face with his hand while Rebecca sat there fuming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hate this month of November because of election day and the time and the weather. Everything feels so slow to me and I hate adjusting to weather. Glad I got this bit out though.

"Ugh! I'm so tired! I've never worked this late before in my life, Mustang." Jean complained, slumping down into the seat of his workstation. The criminal records files were scattered all over their work spaces and most of the indicted soldiers were male and were charged with molesting or raping female soldiers -- which had made Riza and Rebecca shiver. The minority was charged with vandalism and holding unauthorized fire arms -- which led to Havoc being smacked, by an annoyed Riza for joking about her carrying unauthorized weapons in her house and to watch out before someone arrested her. The amount of hours looking for a reliable suspect took it's toll on the team, Rebecca had to be waken up on a few occasions and Breda was weary of having to take on that task when Fuery got hit on the nose by accident. Jean kept smoking more cigarettes when he felt drowsy and Riza was nodding off at her desk as well.

 

"Okay, we should take a break, and then discuss what suspect seems to fit our profile." Mustang said with a sigh, rubbing his eye and scraping off the crust at the corner of them.

 

"I think we should've looked into AWOL soldiers, or maybe even Revolutionary leaders like Ranchester. . . maybe Pierre was right about him." Riza said, causing Mustang to frown.

 

"And what, may I ask, was he right about? He didn't even provide enough evidence for Ranchester to be a likely suspect."

 

"Isn't being a Revolutionary leader, who carried out those violent attacks against the military, evidence enough?" Rebecca asked with a glower. Mustang shifted in his seat.

 

"Someone said something about AWOL soldiers. . . I've got them right here!." Breda announced, not looking up at the argumentative group, too busy jotting down notes of two folders. "The most soldiers that have gone AWOL was when the extermination took place. Most of these soldiers were indicted and about five have been reported missing from the face of Amestris. One of them was The Crystal Alchemist, Tim Marcoh, he couldn't have done this of course."

 

"The other four?" Mustang asked. Breda nodded and flipped through his notes.

 

"Lou Finney, Hans Locke, Richard Lanny, and Jeremiah Hubble."

 

"General, do you think Pierre would even look for these men? It seems pretty far fetched that these soldiers would even think to threaten the Fuhrer's life when they worked pretty hard to make themselves disappear." Riza reasoned. Mustang just sighed and placed his head back against the chair's headrest.

 

"If I remember correctly, weren't those soldiers considered cowards because they didn't participate throughout the extermination?"

 

"Jeremiah Hubble." Mustang suddenly said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and discussing when they heard Mustang's voice, curious at what he was going to say next.

 

"Read his report, Breda." Mustang ordered. Breda nodded and proceeded to open the yellow file. With unsure eyes, he read the report

 

"Jeremiah Hubble: Was last seen carrying a Rolert Model 10, pointing it at the authorities. He was a watch guard for the experimentation for the philosopher stone at the East Wing. Lieutenant Colonel Hakuro was in charge of the watch at the time in place of the Iron Blood Alchemist. The General was unarmed at the time and at that, Hubble made his escape, therefore resulting in him being AWOL. Wasn't seen since then. Searches have been ceased. . . Richard Lanney and Hans Locke escaped with him. . . " Breda stopped short, slightly disturbed. "It was also said that Hubble pleaded with authorities through letters to let him go and was refused leave. . ."

 

"I remember that man." Riza spoke. Mustang glanced at her, she continued. "He was in my squad for a time before he was positioned somewhere else. Know one knew where he went though. . . that file shouldn't even be there. . . how did Sheizka bring it here?"

 

"I also remember him having trouble following orders at our sector as well. He was very odd." Mustang said, stretching his arms. He then frowned and looked at the file that Breda had read.

 

"Sheizka couldn't have got that file on her own. . . she wouldn't do something like that!" Rebecca declared, having seen the face on Roy's demeanor. It looked as if he was being suspicious of the girl.

 

"Well we wouldn't know that for sure." Breda yawned. Rebecca was stupefied at his remark. She knew Sheizka wouldn't dare go that far. She wouldn't even know . . .

 

"She's right boss." Havoc's voice spoke up. "Sheizka is too much of a sweet heart to have this." Havoc looked to Rebecca and grinned toothily as she regarded him with a pout, he was glad that she was at least irritated a little bit that he called another girl sweet heart, but his grin faltered when her remembered what he had to say to her later. Riza saw his expression change and she just sighed as did the Colonel who seemed a little irritated at the man himself.

 

"Okay, okay. It wasn't like I was going to bring her in for questioning. That would scare the poor girl." Mustang joked.

 

"So. . .are we done yet? Can I go home?" Fuery asked tiredly. Mustang shrugged, causing everyone to groan in protest. Mustang chuckled at their expressions.

 

"I'm pulling your leg, you people can go home now, I just need the Colonel to stay back for me."

 

"Sir?" Hawkeye asked, but Mustang put up a hand, silently telling her to wait. Hawkeye sighed, wanting to go home and lie down on her soft bed.

 

* * *

 

 

Rebecca twisted the knob for the faucet, letting the water quit running as she looked into the restroom mirror. She sighed at her tired at eyes and swore to herself that she will never stay back at work again, though she knew she didn't have any real control over that aspect. After drying her hands and throwing the used paper towel away, she twisted the door handle and squeaked slightly at the sight of Havoc waiting against the opposite side of the hallway.

 

"God Damn it, Jean! You couldn't tell me you were waiting for me?!" Rebecca barked. Havoc just chortled at her expense.

 

"Do you have a problem with me waiting for you?" Havoc murmured. Rebecca stared a little at him and pondered at his demeanor, but she knew that he mostly seemed put off because he was tired.

 

"Did you need something?" Havoc shook his head and frowned.

 

"Where are you staying?" he questioned.

 

"At Riza's. . . I have to wait for her little "meeting" with Mustang. Seriously, he couldn't be anymore obvious." she groaned. Looking at the seats next to Havoc longingly, she went and took a chair, exhaling loudly when she felt herself sag along the seats.

 

"You think they're seeing each other?" He quirked a brow when she gave him a look that read 'are you serious.' "What? I don't notice these things a lot. It's not like I look at them and not mind my own business." He sat down as well, humming at the feel of the plush seat.

 

"Okay, look" Rebecca looked around. Seeing that no one was within listening distance and deducing that they were the only ones in the hallway, she leaned closer to Havoc. "He keeps calling her house."

 

"Like, alot?" Rebecca nodded, grinning that finally she got to tell someone. Jean was an exception though and she quickly did a double take because she remembered that Riza had said not to tell anyone else.

 

"Look, don't gossip to the others about it, okay? Riza will have my head."

 

"Says the one whose telling my ear off about Mustang's and Haweye's love life. . . although. . .  I wonder what they are doing in there." he leered. Rebecca giggled.

 

"Don't know. . . Office sex is hot." Havoc grinned at the idea, but then blushed. Rebecca kept leaning towards him, obviously liking that his attention was on her. . . and he still needed to get a few things off his chest before they even started talking about sex. Though for a second he didn't really want to, maybe it was better to just get together again in a bed.

 

"Uh, Beccy, I said I was going to talk to you didn't I?" Rebecca froze for a second and then leaned away as she noticed that he did the same. She nodded, intent to listen.

 

"Have you . . . been seeing anyone. . .?" His heart beat quickened, not sure what her answer would be. What if she said yes. . .or what if she got angry or said no, then he would've looked like a fool. Meanwhile, Rebecca's palms sweated a little, but quickly reprimanded herself. One outing wasn't going on a date and she wasn't seeing General Thomas either so why did she feel a little guilty.

 

"Of course not." she bit out and regretted it when the words came out in that fashion. Havoc flinched a little and she willed herself to calm down. "Of course not." she responded, this time more calmly.

 

"That's good. So why haven't you been returning my phone calls then? Are you upset at me or something?"

 

"No I'm -- I'm not upset at you. It's just y'know work has been frustrating and I know you've left messages. I've missed you. . . I don't like missing you." she muttered at the end, knowing that just making up lousy excuses wasn't going to help her at the end. She gazed up at Havoc, becoming weak when she saw his blush at her statement.

 

"Oh. I've missed you too. . . but that doesn't tell me why you didn't want to call back. If you did miss me, then you could've at least wanted to hear my voice right?" He glared, hurt that she didn't do that much. She grimaced at his hard gaze.

 

"That's . . . true. However, that's wasn't enough for me, Jean. . . I -- God, I know I sound clingy and whiny, but I wanted to see you too. If I heard just your voice, it would be worse for me and I didn't want that. . . Do you even remember why we broke up before? I didn't want a long distance relationship."

 

"Well, what? Do you want to break up again?" he inquired heatedly.

 

"No! God you're slow! That's not even what I'm saying!" she exclaimed.

 

"Well. I don't even know what you want, Rebecca!" Havoc yelled, rubbing his face with his hand while Rebecca sat there fuming. This was why she didn't want to talk it out and had been dreading it. Havoc never really listened to her when they fought and it was something she knew ever since they were both in the academy with Riza. Fed up, she stood up and looking around, she saw an empty office at the end of the hall and pulled the infuriating man up.

 

"Whoa, hey!" Havoc yelped, surprised that Rebecca was manhandling him and pulling on him. He followed and forgot his cane by the seat.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hawkeye, do you think Pierre suspects something of me? He has been baffling me ever since this operation started and I don't understand." Mustang complained, sitting on his desk, not really minding that he was seated on some numerous papers scattered at the desk. Riza frowned and pulled a seat to sit on in front of him.

 

"Well, Sir. . . I believe he's just a little put out. To be honest, I don't even think you were his first choice for him to be working with."

 

"Well, that's mean." Mustang whined.

 

"You asked what I thought, remember?" Riza teased. Roy just sighed and got up from his seat pulled the suspect files off Breda's desk, staring at the interior of them sleepily.

 

"Sir, are you sure that Pierre will accept these files? To be honest, these seem a little. . . how should I put it?"

 

"Far fetched?" Mustang mused. "Don't worry, Riza. It wasn't that hard to find Marcoh. I just need the same means to find Hubble." Riza nodded.

 

"Also, Roy." she said to catch his attention since he dropped the formalities first. He looked a little surprised she did the same and tried not to blush at his bewilderment. "Would you please try to not call my home when I have guests staying over. What if it was someone else that answered the line?" Mustang blushed with embarrassment.

 

"I cannot believe that Rebecca. She kept on looking at me like I was the butt of her joke or something. I was not amused. Don't worry, I won't ever do that again if she's there. I hope she didn't blab it to Havoc."

 

"She wouldn't --"

 

"She would, they're close" Riza groaned and held her head with dread. Suddenly, she remembered that Rebecca was outside waiting for her and headed for the door to check to see if Rebecca was waiting for her outside, but to no avail, she wasn't anywhere to be seen when she opened the door. She deduced that she might have gone to the restroom and closed the door once more and when she did, she turned back and stilled when she saw Roy's face in shock as he held the file, frozen in place.

 

"What's wrong?" The raven haired man peeled something from the inside cover, having seen that it was slightly peeled somewhat and that there was a letter at the corner. He stilled in shock when he found the that the scrap wasn't just a sticker, but that it had words on the other side. Riza, seeing the same thing the man was seeing, hurried over to look at it as well.

 

_STOP THE SEARCH, WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE._

* * *

 

 

The papers that were resting on the desk now fell and scattered about on the floor when Havoc tried finding balance on his arm. He breathed heavily as Rebecca kept stroking him after she had almost broke the button at the waistband of his jeans and almost tore at his boxer briefs in her haste.

 

"I . . . uh . . . don't think. . . this is a good idea." he said in between breaths. Rebecca just chuckled and leaned in to kiss his lips, moaning into his mouth when he groped her bottom with both his hands, pulling her closer against him.

 

"No one's here, baby." she whispered against his lips and kissed down his neck, unbuttoning his dress shirt, quickly. "We'll be quick." She tore off her military jacket and  unbuttoned her blouse as well, sighing when he cupped both her breasts through her brassiere.

 

It wasn't long before they both got out of their trousers and Rebecca grabbed at his cock, helping to slide it inside her. They both took a sharp inhalation of breath, having not been together like this for months. They both rocked into each other soon after, breathing sighs of contentment and pleasure.

 

"This feels so fucking good." Havoc groaned as he aided Rebecca on her movements with his hands clasped tightly on her hips. He took in a hardened nipple that was visible through her flimsy bra, sucking on it, making her moan in delight.

 

"Yeah. . .we should do this everyday." she breathed before stifling her cries when he quickened her pace with his hands while she helped with the force of their thrusts. He groaned loudly too, his eyes rolling up and then closing when she sealed her lips over his when their pace was too much to handle. She came first, arching her back, feeling the tingle of her orgasm through her toes and nipples, her muscles contracting when he growled at the feel of her insides tightening over his throbbing cock as he impaled her one last time. She felt the warmth of his orgasm and slightly panicked until she remembered that she was safe today, slumping against his panting form.

 

"Damn. . . so glad we didn't get caught." Havoc sighed between breaths, rubbing her back through her shirt.

 

"Mmmm."

 

"Can you come over?" Rebecca  laughed and sat up on him, wiggling her hips a little. He took in a sharp breath and gripped at her butt in warning.

 

"I don't think Riza will miss me at all. . . " Havoc nodded and hugged her to him tightly, surprising her a little.

 

"We're. . .okay. Right?" he asked her, unsure. Rebecca scoffed, sliding off his lap and adjusting her clothes.

 

"What do you think?"

 

"You don't have a problem with me?" she glanced back at his face when he looked at his legs.

 

"We're good." she assured him, striding towards him and taking his hand in hers, giving it a slight squeeze. He grinned at her and gripped at her hand.

 

"We should go before anyone finds us. You're still coming over?" She nodded her head. After they finished dressing themselves they walked through the door still hand in hand.

 

* * *

 

 

"Sir?" Mustang addressed when he walked into General Pierre's office, saluting after he let himself in. 

 

"Come in, General. I'm bloody tired and I just want to get this over with." Pierre snapped, the dark circles on his eyes letting Mustang know that he was telling the truth. Mustang inwardly sighed and walked up to the Major General's desk.

 

"I was expecting these earlier that the marked time, General. I feel like I've been cheated when they talked good about you." Mustang didn't know whether to laugh at the situation or just stand there dumbly. The man looked as if he was about to bite someone's head off.

 

"Well the saying goes: 'Don't believe everything you hear.'" Mustang said before he had time to think. Pierre looked up at Mustang from his desk and surprised the raven haired man when he started laughing.

 

"Trust that when they did talk about you, I didn't believe a single word." Pierre chuckled darkly, taking the folders from Mustang's hands. "You may leave now." 

 

"Sir, you may want to hear the analysis of our findings. We --"

 

"No I do not, don't worry I've got it." Pierre scowled. Mustang stood there in bewilderment, offended that his superior officer would brush off something with dire importance such as this."

 

"Sir?"

 

"Leave my office." Pierre replied harshly. Mustang stood there for a second more then started leaving Pierre's office. When he shut the door he looked at Riza with a sort of confounded look.

 

"Well?" Riza asked concerned. Mustang sighed and merely shook his head, growling when the whole scene played out in his head. The man was infuriating and it was not how he had expected things to go. 

 

"I don't believe this. What happened?" 

 

"That man is hard headed. I cannot believe that Pierre has got control over the investigation and why was I called when that man hates me before even getting to know me." He raged quietly.

 

"He didn't like the choice of suspects? Because of personal feelings?" Riza asked, taken aback. Mustang shook his head, silently motioning that she walk with him through the quiet halls that had minimal staff.

 

"He didn't hear anything out of me at all and didn't wish to. He will be upset if he looks into the folders and finds them to be AWOL on his own without a proper explanation."

 

"Unless he plans not to even look at them, Roy." Roy faltered for a moment before sighing.

 

"No. I wrote out an explanation at the end along with Breda's notes." Mustang said. Meanwhile Riza had half a mind to walk to the office and straighten out the man on her own, but she wouldn't dare do it without facing insubordination and court - martial. 

 

"It's not like I won't do a debriefing about our plausible suspects, it's tomorrow." Mustang explained. Riza just merely nodded hoping for the best.

 

"And what of the note. What will we do?" Riza asked, concerned. Mustang just paused and put a hand on her shoulder.

 

"Don't worry. I've got it."

 

* * *

 

 

"What do you mean there is no debriefing, Colonel!? Explain yourself?!" Mustang growled. Colonel Altec just barely uttered those words, surprising the whole of Mustang's office and putting them in a frenzy.

 

"We've worked hard to provide that crap and now Pierre just brushes that aside?" Rebecca yelled. Altec just demurely fixed his glasses on top of his nose, showing that he was unaffected by the outrage. 

 

"The Major General sends his apologies and also orders that Colonel Hawkeye, Colonel Rebecca and Lieutenant Colonel Havoc to come with me." Altec informed. Riza stared at the man and growled a little inside.

 

"What for, Altec?" she questioned. Altec sighed and put his clipboard at his side tightly. 

 

"We are all planing action as we speak, General. We are raiding the "Silver Goose" this afternoon and we need capable hands for it. Ranchester had always slipped from our hands."

 

"That is because we never attempted to arrest the man before, Colonel." Breda explained, glaring at the tall man. 

 

"General?" Havoc asked, looking back at Mustang who had barely hid his dislike. 

 

"Major General also orders your assistance Brigadier General." Altec added. Mustang widened his eyes then closed them with his brows furrowed.

 

"Well what are we waiting for." Mustang growled.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sort of feel like I threw in the Rebecca/Havoc scene, which wasn't my intention at all! I hope that it didn't feel like that to the rest of you and if you felt that it was weird that it happened the way it did, let me know please. Also, expect more of Pierre being an asshole. I originally planned for him to be nice and stuff like that, but I got bored of that idea.
> 
> Anyway, constructive criticism is welcomed and I've been working on the next chapter earlier than what I intended because I got to excited.


	7. Chapter 6

The air held an eerie demeanor when Riza entered the building through the cellar in the bottom. The paths turned this way and that and the halls seemed somewhat endless and it reminded her of the Promised, making her shiver in her black tight shirt. Luckily, she remembered the paths and she only had to look at the maps of the Silver Goose architecture once, but she held no pride in skills like these at a time like this.

 General Pierre had totally disregarded Roy's input for the suspects of the "Letter Case" and followed his own intuition. Personal feelings should never come before a job and she had to bite her tongue around the old man while Rebecca barely held it and was almost caught in one of her rants by the man. Ranchester had just wanted to barge in the pub, demanding the whereabouts for the reformer, but was cooled down by his subordinate. It sort of made sense that they would have to come up with a plan to seize the revolutionary, and it would have to be precise, for supposedly they had tried to arrest the man before, but failed miserably when Ranchester escaped so easily.

 Rebecca and Havoc entered into the pub quite easily enough, being masters in disguise, pretending to be civilians who supported Ranchester's cause in declining the militaristic government. She'd have to ask Rebecca how she knew what to say according to the bouncer's pleasure.

 But the stench was excruciating and it reminded her of the basement her father occupied for his many alchemic experiments which wrought memories in her mind, both being good and bad. She sighed and focused at the task in hand, hoping that Roy was having a better time up in the surface waiting at a corner to use his Flame Alchemy should any mishaps happen.

 She turned another corner once again, seeing stairs at the end of the tunnel and silently descending them until she heard a voice at the end.

 The revolutionaries were at the top of the floorboards whereas she was beneath them, the light from up above caused shadows to move about the tunnel and she had to squint to see the people better

 She'd have to find a better place.

 This place is somewhat like an auditorium where they meeting, right? She looked to the sides and surely there was rope dangling at her level.

 It was a long climb and there was a chance that she could be seen, but only slightly and the curtain was obscuring her position.

* * *

 

 

 "I cannot believe Pierre"

 "You've said that, like, a billion times already, Regina. I'm getting tired of hearing another man's name out of your lips." Rebecca casted a grim eye at. . . her boyfriend? Lover? Oh! That sounded too serious. She then decided to put those thoughts away where she had time to ponder them.

 "Well what do you want me to do, Jacque!" she whispered, using his male code name. It would have been entertaining to have seen Havoc dressed like a woman and be called Jacqueline, but it was easier this way. "He shouldn't have said what he said."

 "What? About. . . Chris?" Havoc asked, having to remember about Roy's code name. He chuckled.

 "No. I can care less about that man." Rebecca harrumphed, tipping her hat further down her face, when a man in front tried to glance at her features. Havoc saw as well and glared, putting his arm around the woman, caging her in in a sort of possessive way mostly for show. . . and also because technically they were together and he didn't like that men ogled at his girl.

"Oh, please. I remember that you once were infatuated with him."

"For about a second."

"More like a week." Havoc lightly retorted. Rebecca scoffed and playfully shoved him, almost making him trip in the process.

"But really. He didn't have to say what he said about you." she said more lowly. He rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on her.

"Well. He didn't really expect an invalid in his investigation."

"You're better though. And you can run." Havoc chose not to say anything after that and it was true. He could run, but he would get tired easily. It somewhat amazed him how much he had bounced back, and he wouldn't even care to admit that it was mostly because Rebecca was there to encourage him along the way. It didn't really bother him that other people like Pierre chose to see the bad things instead of the good and he didn't really care about anyone else's opinion really, except for a few people who he was close to. 

He looked towards Rebecca once more and noted how bundled up she seemed in this particular place. Not that it was hot or anything, but it was slightly warmed and she looked really warm. Her head was covered by a nice hat, though not too nice to capture some unwanted attention, except for a few glances for she was easy on the eyes. Her coat also matched her hat which was a red wine color. It looked nice on her.

Rebecca took notice of his stare and turned her head to face him, smiling.

"Admiring me, I see." Havoc just blushed and averted his eyes.

"Well, I was just thinking how nice you looked in that coat." Havoc admitted with a soft smile that made Rebecca's face brighten.

"Really? I tried to dress a little less flashy than the norm." she said while glancing down at her attire "Didn't really want to draw attention y'know." Havoc leaned in closer to her ear.

"I didn't say it was flashy. You look very nice. I like it. . . now. . ." When he paused Rebecca glanced at him. "What do you have underneath." Rebecca chortled and elbowed him slightly.

"You'll probably find out. . . later." They stopped whispering though when the crowd's noise level started dying down  when a man started walking on stage.

The man held a confident air about him and he seemed easy on the eyes as Rebecca looked upon his features. He had some gray hair on the sides, though it wasn't that noticeable and he had a calm face with a set of twinkling green eyes. She would lie if she said she didn't find him handsome.

"Wow. He's good - looking." Rebecca whispered in Havoc's ear. Havoc just rolled his eyes and playfully nipped at her earlobe.

"This would be our fourth time here meeting like this. I am proud to say that no mishaps have happened so far in our city or in the East. There have been casualties that I am truly sorry for. Some of my followers have misinterpreted my messages."

"That's Ranchster." Havoc explained to Rebecca. She looked on with confusion written on her face at how this man spoke in this manner. What did he mean by all this. Wasn't he the violent leader the officers made him out to be? The die hard revolutionary that Pierre was determined to place behind bars?

The crowd applauded and cheered on in the speech and Ranchester simply put his hands up to quiet them.

"I am very saddened that the military are interpreting our cause as an act of violent forces. I only wish to fight this country's government with peace and nothing else. I swear it. The government also interprets our cause as an act of support to the recent deceased Fuehrer. " 

This speech further confused Rebecca, maybe this wasn't the right man after all. This had to be a mistake or was this all a trick? Why was Pierre so determined in having this Ranchester man in the first place? Every time she even heard of the man, it was always with scorn and hatred, but he was talking of peace all of sudden. It didn't sound like

She looked towards Havoc and she saw his puzzlement as well and his larynx bobbed in nerves. She slightly shook him and he looked at her. He mouthed words to her.

'What do we do?' he asked, panic in his eyes. Before she could answer there was murmurs and screaming when their vision was of a man holding a gun in the air towards Ranchester.

"Holde Ranchester, you are under arrest for threatening the life of --" Before the man could finish his sentence, a shot rang out, making everyone in the room scream in terror and stray away from the shooter on the stage nest to the revolutionary. There was a man that was slightly taller than Ranchester and he held a small pistol in his hand and quickly pulled another when he saw something on the side of the curtain.

"Please duck, leader!" The man yelled as he pointed his gun up to the upper part of the auditorium. Rebecca and Havoc pulled their guns out, running towards the shooter and Ranchester. When the taller man saw them he pointed his gun towards them and another to the place he was focused on before Rebecca and Havoc made an appearance.

Both Havoc and Rebecca stopped in their tracks when the discolored gun was pointing at them, both huffing from their run and from their nerves. How could this man be so fast and when had he pulled his gun out?

"You!" The man barked, displeasure written all over his features. He seemed to have his attention behind the upper part of the curtain. "What are you doing here, Marks-woman! Has the military grown so paranoid that they had to send you out here?"

Rebecca gasped, knowing now that the disagreeable man had spotted Riza. It should've been difficult to spot her since she usually hid herself in the shadows and was outstanding in camouflage. Rebecca turned her face to Jean, seeing that he had a glare on his face. The man seemed to whisper something to Ranchester, something that must have made the man look confused.

"I will not leave." Ranchester whispered quietly. "You've frightened my followers, Cain. We've talked about this!" The man, Cain gnashed his teeth.

"Very well. You've seen me." Riza said aloud, her voice echoing in the auditorium. "We are here to arrest Ranchester, he is charged for threatening the Fuehrer's life."

"Excuse me?" Ranchester yelled. Cain growled and held the gun tighter.

"You are lying. This is some sort of ploy to arrest our leader with no reason. That's how it's always been in this god forsaken country.

"We can assure you," Rebecca argued, "that this is no trick. We have the letters. We can prove that we are not lying!"

"If Ranchester can peacefully turn himself in, it would be lovely." Havoc said. Rebecca caught his sarcasm and frowned. "After all, you've just finished talking of peace not that long ago." Havoc pulled out a lighter and cigarette, placing the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it.

"You idiots think that he would turn himself in just like that? You've got the wrong man!"

Rebecca looked up at the two men, wondering what the men would do now. They weren't idiotic, so they wouldn't try to run unless they wanted Riza to shoot their knees and it was only one man against three. Ranchester was unarmed, or so it appeared. She doubted Ranchester was an idiot. Havoc didn't seem to pleased with this turn out. He was probably questioning whether or not the man was innocent or not.

"If you can't surrender, Ranchester, remember that this mere follower of yours murdered an officer. I wouldn't doubt that his actions would go unjustified. He could be on the run for his whole life." The man who Riza was speaking to widened his eyes in concern, then put his head down with a sigh.

"Don't listen to them, leader."

"No. . .no, Cain. . . this isn't what I had wanted and this isn't how we said we would fight."

"But--" Cain began until Ranchester held his hands up in surrender.

"Drop you weapons, Cain." the other man ordered, making Cain grimace, his hold shaking on his guns until he he dropped them and held his hands up as well.

"Wait 'til we tell Mustang that we didn't need his help in this one. The poor guy." Havoc bemused.

 

* * *

 

 

When Rebecca, Havoc and the two men had gotten out, the people surrounding the building cause an uproar, but were behind soldiers, trying to make their way through the officers.

"LET HIM BE!'

"WHAT HAS HE DONE TO DESERVE THIS!"

"ANOTHER UNLAWFUL ARREST ON OUR PEOPLE!"

Mustang groaned at the ruckus, putting his hands on his hips and stepping forward to the four people. Of course he knew that arresting this revolutionary was going to cause chaos among the rest of the people following this man. They were die hard believers in him, practically almost worshiped as a god.

When the crowd ran out of the building, to say he was surprised was an understatement. He thought the plan would be ruined and the city police surrounded the perimeter of the building, making some arrests when some people turned violent. The arrested where currently on the sidewalk, sitting on the side of the pub.

"Well, that went faster than I anticipated." Mustang observed. Havoc took a drag of his cigarette, then exhaled the air out.

"Believe me, I know. . . Though we lost Collins when that guy took him out." Havoc responded, tightening his grip on one of the men. "This guy here. Cain shot him." The man growled when Havoc tightened his hold on him, then stopped when the other man glanced at him.

"Then I assume that you are Ranchester." Mustang addressed to the shorter man. Ranchester just smiled.

"Pleasure to meet you, Roy Mustang." he said politely. "I'm very happy that this lovely woman was able to have me brought to you." He smiled at Rebecca and she fought not to blush at his handsome features when she saw that his smile was a sincere one. Mustang, on the other hand, was skeptical and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Well, Mr. Ranchester--"

"Call me Holde."

"Y-Yes. Well you understand why you were arrested, yes?" the raven haired man inquired. The older man simply nodded firmly.

"Well let's take them over to Pierre. Havoc, Catalina, where in the world is Hawkeye?" Havoc just stammered nervously while Rebecca scoffed and was just about to tease him.

"I'm here, General." Riza stiffly said, jogging the few paces with a the sniper bouncing in her grip to the group while she studied the two men in custody with a look. She then turned to Mustang. "Sir, I think we need to talk. All three of us including Breda and Fury."

"Alright, Colonel. But not now. . . when we get back to base. And after we turn these two in. Hopefully Pierre is merciful." 

 

* * *

 

 

"We have your suspect, General." Rebecca said curtly. Ranchester simply watched the woman from the corner of his eye, seeing displeasure on her features as she addressed the said man.

Pierre came up to the group, nodding firmly at Mustang and smiling.

"Well I see that the mission didn't go to waste because of your team mates, Brigadier General. I was afraid something might have happened." The bald man said, observing the group and mostly eyeing Havoc. Rebecca eased back her temper as well as Mustang and Riza. The man was starting to grate at their patience and Rebecca knew that anymore useless talk of Havoc's condition would make things go terrible. Roy then stood in front of Pierre.

"I don't know if I mentioned to you, General, but my men are very capable and very reliable when it comes to their orders and duties. I would never be where I am without them."

"You are pretty sentimental for someone high in ranks, Brigadier." Pierre turned and cast a glance at the man who was in custody then turned to his men behind him. "Take this man to the interrogation room. I will be there shortly. 

When Mustang saw that the soldiers and Ranchester were out of earshot, he spoke again.

"What if he isn't the one, Sir." But Mustang didn't get an answer and Pierre followed after the men.

 

* * *

 

 By evening,  the team made sure the files were returned back to its original state, but Mustang chose to not speak of the note now. He wondered how upset his subordinates would be if they found out the secret between Riza and himself. He knew Rebecca would have a few choice words for him, things about wasting their time and how much kissing his superiors ass got them nowhere and how Riza deserved better. What did she know anyway? 

"Did you guys get a look at that Ranchester?" Havoc asked while dumping some papers.

"What about him?" Mustang inquired. 

"He seems. . . nice."

"That's not really proof that he didn't  do it." Mustang glowered.

"You don't even believe that yourself." Riza spoke, glaring at the man. Mustang shrank back in his seat and placed his feet on the desk.

"We need further proof that it isn't him and I'm tired of playing these games with Pierre." 

"You don't have to! I don't understand why you don't report him to Grumman? He's insulted everyone in this group and even insulted you." Rebecca snapped. Mustang din't even look at her and she felt ire rise up within her at his disinterest. Not even Havoc was saying anything. She never worked with this group before and she'd been excited to work along with Riza, then Jean. . . and yeah, she was even interested in working with Roy as well. Now though, she somewhat was regretting it, this group was just. . . . 

She stood from the chair and look up at her commanding officer.

"Excuse me." she bit out and walked out the door. 

As the door clicked shut, Mustang sighed and filed more papers, deciding that this was even a worse time to mention any note. He'd have to wait until Rebecca came back and who knew when that would be. 

"You're not going after her, Havoc?" Havoc winced and looked away.

"You're joking right? She'll bite my head off. She needs to cool her head first." he shuddered. Riza rolled her eyes and was about to comment until the phone rang on her desk.

* * *

 

 "So the Fuhrer has been receiving threatening letters? And you assume it's me somehow? I don't understand." Ranchester said, confused. The soldier that was in charge of interrogating him look towards the one-way mirror and Pierre growled with irritation. He went towards the door and stormed his way in, silently telling the officer to go out and the man was more than happy to oblige to that silent entreaty.

"Hello, Pierr--"

"Save it. We know that it was you sending those letters and threatening the Fuhrers life. You have no alibi's for your whereabouts and your unsightly follower was less helpful."

"I have no alibi's. I do remember that I've said that I prepare for my speeches and my gatherings."

"Maybe you have things to do, but what about your followers, what of them? I remember correctly that one time they have bombed Main Street." the General recollected. "They may have been not much, but it terrorized everyone in close vicinity." Ranchester sighed and folded his hands on the table silently. He bowed his head a little and pondered on what Pierre said. Pierre looked victorious for a moment until the seated man looked up with hard set eyes, his glance strongly pouring over the older soldier.

"That was a mistake, they did not understand at the time. . . But you have seemed to put some of the protesters in cells without them being harmless."

" I didn't ask for you to say anything! And that has nothing to do with that. How could you fight for a dead man? Who are you trying to serve?"

"My country." Ranchester answered. "I am fighting for my country. Not for this government, or the the one Bradley established so grotesquely. It seems you don't even understand what our cause is, General." Pierre stood for a moment with a glare that could cut glass. He turned away and gathered the papers on the desk and walked towards the exit.

"We're not finished. You can stay in the cell with your dog." When he shut the door, Ranchester sighed and rested his head on his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on "Hospital Advenures", but I'd also like to work on something else too! 
> 
> Read and Review.


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